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by Michelle Sutton-Kerchner
Reducing sugar has become a big goal for many this year. With experts warning of sugar’s dangers, here’s how to wake from that sugar coma and take action …
Avoid Extremes
Don’t panic. A life without the sweet stuff may seem depressing and an overwhelming challenge. Before you begin this step to better health, remember the need for “balance” in all things.
Decide to reduce—not eliminate—sugar from your diet. After all, we always want what we cannot have. Allow yourself to have a little and want less. Go for “perfectly enough,” which is what the body will adapt to when reducing sugar—craving it less.
Consider small steps:
- Cut back on sweeteners in your drinks. Done gradually, you will hardly notice a difference. In a month or so, go back to your original amount for a taste. You probably will dislike it!
- Become swap-out savvy. Learn healthier equivalents for sweet ingredients in recipes. For example, about half a cup of sugar-free applesauce can replace added sugar in banana bread recipes.
- Share. The first few bites of a treat are the most gratifying. It’s a fact. Share a dessert or sweet snack with a friend. Savor those initial tastes and skip the rest. You’ll feel satisfied, without the post-sugar crash and regret. And no one minds being deprived of that!
Launch a Healthy Day
Breakfast is the most important meal. Among other benefits, it influences your choices for the rest of the day. It also jump-starts your metabolism, and you don’t want sugar fueling that. Choose foods high in protein and fiber, with little or no sugar. Consider hard-boiled eggs, steel-cut oats, nuts, or appropriate dry cereal.
Remove Temptations
If you store it, you will eat it. This is a loophole in many diets. When sugary treats are piled in the cabinet, we tell ourselves letting them go stale is wasteful. “I’ll cut back on sugar, after I eat out this cabinet.” Okay, that may not be the exact thought, but it is often what happens.
Additionally, having sweets conveniently available makes it too easy to slip back into poor snack choices. When hunger, stress, or boredom strike, those choices seem so delicious and easy. Don’t torture yourself. Stop buying them. If you bake sugary treats like cookies or cakes, find joy in gifting them to others.
Stock Up on Healthy
Be sure to have plenty of healthy snacks at the ready. Ideas: low-sugar Greek yogurt, veggie sticks, low-fat cheese and multigrain crackers, low-sugar protein bars, nuts and seeds. These keep blood sugar steady so you don’t scoop up the nearest handful of M&Ms when hungry.
Keep fresh and dried fruit in your kitchen for when sweet cravings strike. Satisfy them with these natural sugars, which also pack nutrients. Dark chocolate, with its powerful antioxidants, is another option for those cravings. If you have to indulge, get some healthy perks with it!
One, Once Daily
Especially as you begin your journey down Candy-free Lane, allow yourself to enjoy a taste of your favorite once a day. It may be a small serving of ice cream (store nothing larger than pint sizes because, well, “trust no one” includes yourself) or a favorite cookie. Keep these reserves buried in the kitchen. They will give your sweet-tooth something to anticipate during the countless denials it will endure. Think of them as a necessity, you know, for that balanced life.
Ain’t Life Sweet
Make sure it is. Find alternate ways to sweeten your life that do not rely on sugar. Use your newly gained energy and glycemically steady mood to get a taste for new fitness equipment. Try a different Group Fitness class. Instead of meeting at the coffee café, go for a walk with a friend. Skip dessert and schedule a haircut instead. Replace your morning donut run with a trip to the Center.
Challenge yourself to find healthier ways to feel good. Discover life’s deliciousness beyond the sugar bowl. Soon, you’ll be craving things like a soak in the Center spa pool. There, you’ll blissfully wonder what exactly you thought you were missing. Who needs donuts when living the sweet life.
Sources
Shape.com
Webmd.com
